Republican former New York Rep. George Santos has been full of the holiday spirit this December.
He’s been boasting about making trips to “the swamp” to meet with lawmakers and “industry leaders,” taking shots at fellow fallen congressmembers, and making a cameo as Santa Claus at a congressional Christmas party.
This time last year, Santos was attempting to pick himself back up after being only the sixth lawmaker to ever be expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives. An ethics committee investigation found he falsified his personal biography, misused campaign funds, and engaged in a scheme to defraud donors, his own party and the Federal Election Commission. In response, he began his run on the platform Cameo, recording songs and holiday greetings as a way to make income while awaiting his trial on a 23-count indictment.
Ultimately, Santos pleaded guilty to two counts in August of wire fraud and identity theft as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York. Now he’s facing a sentencing on Feb. 7, 2025. He said he expects it to be a “punch in the face,” while some of his former constituents hope it provides long-sought justice and substantial penalties.
None of that has stopped Santos from monetizing his social media feeds, reminding President-elect Donald Trump of his unwavering support, and from launching a new podcast. (It’s called “Pants on Fire with George Santos”.)
Reached for comment on the podcast and his legal fate, Santos said: “Is amazing (sic) how everyone asked me about the project but you want to turn a positive into a rancid hit piece.”
At other points in the tragicomedy that has been the Santos saga, even the man himself seems to have realized that consequences are catching up with him.
“I have sinned and take full responsibility,” Santos wrote on X in mid-December. “I have a feeling I will be getting another punch in the face from life… people are going out of their way to pen letters to the judge overseeing my case.” He asserted that “these people” don’t really know who he really is.
Experts say these letters may hold some sway in his sentencing, just like anything Santos’ attorneys might submit on his behalf.
“Judge [Joanna] Seybert is a very thorough judge, and I think she will consider everything that is put in front of her, including from the defendant,” said Cathy Fleming, a white-collar defense attorney at Offit Kurman and former federal prosecutor in New Jersey.
The federal crimes to which Santos pleaded guilty carry sentences of two to 22 years.
Fleming said Seybert will also consider so-called “3553a factors,” which relate to the nature of the crime, the history and characteristics of the defendant and the need for deterrence.
A lawyer for Santos did not respond to a request for comment.
Some voters in his former district, which encompasses eastern Queens and northern Nassau County, are hoping Santos faces swift and certain justice. Jody Kass-Finkel, a leader of the nonpartisan community group Concerned Citizens for NY-03, said her members are still angry that Santos was allowed to serve as long as he did.
“At this point, it is unclear how long Santos needs to be imprisoned to make him understand that what he did was wrong and had real-life, harmful consequences,” Kass-Finkel said. “How much time must he serve to send a message to future impersonators and charlatans that it isn’t worth the risk?”
Long before he was brought up on fraud charges, numerous reports emerged that Santos had lied while convincing voters to elect him to Congress. Santos did not work with Wall Street bigwigs at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. He was never a star volleyball player at Baruch College. His mother did not die in the 9/11 terror attacks.
Kass-Finkel said her group didn’t want Santos to get a plea deal to begin with. They believe that if the case went to a trial, it would reveal more about who else was involved in the fraud scheme with Santos – and whether some of those people remain in positions of power.
Santos, meanwhile, is still going after those who brought him down. One of his targets is Long Island Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who represents the neighboring Nassau County district and voted to oust Santos from Congress. Now, D’Esposito is on his way out, too, having lost his re-election bid to Democrat Laura Gillen in November.
D’Esposito, a former NYPD detective, has been campaigning to become Trump’s pick for head of the Drug Enforcement Administration. When current House members have shared validating statements on social media, Santos has clapped back. He called D’Esposito out for allegedly losing his service weapon while in the NYPD and, more recently, for hiring a woman he was allegedly having an affair with to his district office.
A spokesperson for D’Esposito did not respond to a request for comment about the remarks from Santos. Ahead of the election, D’Esposito told Gothamist his hiring practices were “ above board and there was zero ethics violated.”
As he prepares for his sentencing, Santos may find hope in another political wildcard known for stretching the truth: President-elect Donald Trump could offer him a pardon. The ex-congressmember is never afraid to remind the world that he was an early and staunch MAGA supporter, a loyalty that Trump is known to appreciate.
“A president has absolute pardon authority over federal crimes,” said Fleming, the former federal prosecutor. She said Santos could apply for a pardon, but in her view, “It’s a real Hail Mary.”
For now, Santos will be podcasting and staying positive. Promoting “Pants on Fire” on X, he wrote: “despite everything, my spirit remains young and fun!”
